Noorah Al-Gailani

When I heard the air raid siren in the news report from Ukraine, my heart sank. This is direct sound of my teenager years living in Bagdad during Iraq war of the 1980s, a war that seems to start suddenly between neighbours with history of antagonising each other. A war that lasted 8 years and at the end of it, no one won, but hundreds and thousands die, cities destroyed, communities displaced, and a legacy felt today.

In amongst all the news of current affairs in our country at large, Tuesday came with much needed good news, relaxation of most of the COVID restrictions in Scotland from the coming Monday, this comes just in time for our Scotland annual celebration of Burn’s Night, and Glasgow’s annual music festival Celtic Connections.

On Wednesday, the disaster emergency committee launched crisis appeal for Afghanistan, the country slipped into a wide spread famine, caused by combination of factors, the chief causes are the severe draught that is hampering agriculture the main base of the economy, and then packed with pandemic, but also freezing of the country’s assets, and the ongoing conflict. But Scottish and British governments are supporting the public appeal with substantial sums. In November the BBC report John Simpson told us about the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, where starving families have resolved to sell their children to save, and save their remaining family. How desperate must parents be to resolve to these measures. But the need to survive makes people do the unimaginable things.

This day concludes a month long of Ramadan, may your fasting efforts, prayers, devotions, over the past month be rewarded with happiness and well being. This years Eight comes again at extraordinary time, with COVID-19 still very much in our lives. But it also comes at a time of heart breaking unrest on one of holiest city on earth, Jerusalem. While the last week of Ramadan has seen disruption to Muslim worship happen at dome of the mosque, and wide spread violent unrest. The chain of events is multilayered, and the grievances behind these events are historical and complicated. But 73 years, the conflict has devastated communities and displaced populations across the holy land and beyond, and cost many lives and livelihoods.

We enter the second week of Ramadan, when Muslim people fast between dawn and dusk from eating and drinking, and from all others thoughts and actions that can corrupt the soul and the person. Fasting during the pandemic and forced Muslims in Scotland to observe it in solitary ways. But this has helps to retrain themselves on private worship and the mind on spiritual reflection within the home. A special prayer custom that distinguishes the evenings of Ramadan from the rest of the year is the prayers address time after nightfall. This involves reading sections of the scripture, and prostrating prayers throughout the night. It is best appreciated when done in congregation at mosque, but with restriction preventing most from communal worship, the home is where they’re done this year. Where the calm and quite of small hour before sunrise can become most mystically awakening to the mind and spirit. One favrioute prayer before laying one’s head to sleep is “O God, I submit myself to you, and trust my fears to you, turn my faith to you and lay myself down, depending upon you, seeking you and venerating you. There is no refugee and no escape except to you.” May we be inspired to explore our spiritual traditions for nourishment, be moved to share them with our loved ones, and may we all be blessed with peace in our homes.

Have you ever worried about losing it, or have you tried against the odds to pass it on to your children. This is UN's International Mother Language Day is all about. Where even Glasgow Banter being counted as a dialog.